Tire-armor.



G. w. HARDY.

TIRE ARMOR.

MPPUCATION man FEB. 4. |914.

Miam-ed May 4, i935.

narran smarts Paannrforrlcn.

enoaen'w. HARDY, orssnrinoanjarsnrnaun.

TIREARMGR.

Toall whom. 'it may concern.'

` Be it known that GEORGE.

Baltimore, in .theState of'Maryland, have invented new and useful- Improvements in .Tire-Armors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates totire armors, the

object of the invention being to provide a readily attachable and detachable .armor for pneumatic tires and the like which will prof Avide a metallic wearing surface andthereby protect the tire itself. from excessive wear and at the same time increase the traction ofthe Wheel to'l which the improved armor is applied. y .v `With the above and other objects in view,

-the invention' consists in the novel construc- 1 tion, combination and arrangementof parts, as will hereinafter be morefully described, illustrated and claimed.v

In the accompanying 1 is aside elevation'of a section of a wheel felly and tire, showing a section of the improved armor applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through a portion of thearm'or showing the felly and tire in elevation. Fig. 3 is a cross section taken approximately on the line 3-3 ofl Fig.. 1' with parts in elevation and other parts broken away. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view on an enlarged scale" of one yof the yarmor sections together with the jointed arms thereof. Fig. 5 isa detail section on thesame line as Fig. v3 showing a modified arrangement of stem'and crosshead.V Fig. 6 is a detail perspective if'ie'wof one of the retaining rings.

The complete armor contemplated in this invention is made up of an endless circular series of sections, each section, as shown in'- Fig. el, comprising an arched main body 1 adapted to fit over the tread surface of the tire indicated at 2 so as to protect the tread surface thereof. The main bodyportion of the armor section shown 1n Fig. l is preferably provided on its wearing surface with transversely. extending traction ribs 3 to obtain a better holden the road surface and the end portions 4 of the body are preferably extended as shown so that when the sections are assembled they will bear an,

overlapping relation to-each other along the tread while leaving sufficient spaces at 5 between the side Wall portions ofthe sections Specification of Letters Patent W.,HAIRDY,- a citizen of theUni-ted States, residing at drawings :--Figure4 Patented Maya-1915.

application mea February 4, isis. seriai No. 81ans.,

and Vrocking movementslof the` sections.

"lm the preferred embodiment of they in-v vention, eachalternate section 1l isprovided adjacent I'to the opposite endsthereofwith: 'oppositely llocated arms 6 to which exten sion arms 7 are jointed, preferably by hinge.

joints as-indicatcd-at 8 thus enabling 'the exto f allow lfor the j necessary inward, joutwlard1 tension arms 7 to swing'to facilitate the op;

eration of' placing the armere-sa whole on the tire and vrimfand removing the-.same

,therefrom. l Each of the arms 6 is provided o'iits outer` side with .a loop 9. the-length of Which is approximately radial tothe center of the wheel and passing through all of the. loo si)l of fthe entire series ofA sections lare en less retaining rings 10, two of such rings being employed as shown 'in-Fig,..3" and arranged at oppositesides of the wheel rim I11. Each lof said rings is preferably made as shown .in Fig. 6, that-is to sayit is provided with a joint 12 at -one `side, and provided at .a

extremities of a sliding crosshead 15 which is movable lengthwise of the slots l14 and heldin place by nuts lorthe equivalent thereof, said nuts being arranged on the,

outside of the extension arms 7 The nuts 1G may be tightened for the purpose of holding the extremities of the cross heads in fixed relationto the extension arms 18 to facilitate the application/and removal of the' 100 sections ofthe protector or armor.

Hingedly connected at 17 to the extremity of one of the extension arms7 isa hasp 18 whilethe extremity of ,the other extension arm 7 is provided with a stud bolt 19 which is adapted to pass througha hole 20 in the -hasp and receive a nut 21.\ Under the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, the cross head 15 has extending inwardly from the center i thereof a stem 21 which passes through a hole 22 in the center of the hasp 1S and is and which bears atv its opposite end against l the cross head 15. This permits the -st'em21 to slide throughl the hole 22 in the hasp'lSA in order to accommodate the expansion and contraction of that portion of thetire Which rests against the ground. Instead of forming the stem 21 directly on the crosshead 15.,.the1crosshea`d indicated at 15 in Figr. 5. may be made to slide on the stem 21a which in this case is shown as formed integrallywith a base plate 24 se- `cured `to the Wheel felly indicated at 25. In such latter case the sliding crosshead 15 is adaptedto slide upon and lengthwise of the stem 21a-as the spring 28 is' compressed and allowed to expand.. The same result takes place under both of the arrangements shown in Figs. 3 and 5..

Under the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, the crosshead 15 When/lying close to the wheel :telly 25 'restsbetween the parallel guide flanges 26 formed on a base plate 27 iastened to the inner face of the felly 25,

the flanges 26 serving); to steady'tlie sliding directions against the loops 9 of adjacent sections as clearly shown in Fig. 1.'-

lVhile all of the sections'of the armor may be provided with the extension arms 7, it is preferred to omit the said extension arms 7 from some of the sections as shown in Fig.

1 so that there will not he so many haspsflS Y to manipulate While! placingthe armor on the tire andv removing the same therefrom..

It will, of course., be understoodthat any desired numher of sections l may beem ployed and the dimensions thereof may be varied to suit the particular tire and Wheel upon which the completed armoris placed. rIhese and other changes in the form, pro'- portion and minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from vthe principle or' sacrificing any of the adarms, eXten'ding toward' the center of the A wheel andA formed with longitudinal slots, a hasp hinged to the inner extremity of one of said arms, means for fastening said hasp to the extremity of the other arm, and

cushioning means supported by said liasp,

adapted to bear against a Wheel felly and guided by said slots, said cushioning `means embodying across head having its extremities slid'ablein said slots, a radially extend ing guide stem, an expansion sprlng-encircling said stem and interposed between said cross head .and hasp, and means for clamping the-ends of said cross head temporarily in fixed'relation to said extension arms.

In testimony'whereof I affix my signature in presence of -tWo Witnesses.

- GEORGE W. HARDY.

GEORGE HEDLY,

' Gao. W. PRESTON.

. Copies of this pai-tent may 'be obtained for e cents each, by addressing the- Commissioner of Patents,

" ,Washington, D.. C. 

